We are going to learn idioms here connected to towns, or useful for talking about them.
Priob (wink, blink, twinkle) is a useful verb and it is used in two regular expressions which are very close to the same expressions in English (in the blink of an eye) and (a wink of sleep).
priob! (v)
wink, blink, twinkle, flicker!
priobadh (vn)
winking, blinking, twinkling, flickering
priobadh na sùla
the blink of an eye
priobadh cadail
a wink of sleep
Let’s add to that list.
Tha solais a’ bhaile a’ priobadh.
The lights of the city are twinkling/flickering.
Tha toglaichean gan togail ann am priobadh na sùla!
Buildings are being built in the blink of an eye!
Tha sglèat a dhìth air!
He is a sandwich short of a picnic! lit. He’s missing a slate!
Tha e ann am beul a’ bhaile!
It/He is on everyone’s lips!
fios sgeulaichean a’ bhaile
gossip of the rumour mill
urchair cloiche dhen bhaile
a stone’s throw from the town
drip is othail a’ bhaile-mhòir
the hustle and bustle of the big city
ùpraid a’ bhaile-mhòir
the din of the big city
Why don’t you have a go at this task! If you have a Gaelic–speaking friend, you could do this together. If you don’t – no problem – you can have double the fun!
Use these points to think about or have/hold a conversation.
Try to use some of the verbs and other grammar points we learned in this cuspair.
Smaoinich air àm nad bheatha nuair a dh’atharraich rudeigin ann am priobadh na sùla.
Think of a time in your life when something changed in blink of the eye.
No smaoinich air suidheachadh far am faod rudeigin atharrachadh ann an priobadh na sùla. Faodaidh tu/sibh a bhith cruthachail!
Or think of a situation where something could change in the blink of an eye. You can be creative!